The Scarab

[Mytholder]

Khulmbanos greets the halfling, but shies away slightly as the humans begin to crowd into the garden. He lurks like a suspicious black pudding for a moment, listening to the strange voices.

"Firkin 'ell", he mutters to the Githzerai, "hark to all the accents. Couldn't ye have hired some people what speak proper like me?"

 

[Arknath]

"Sir dwarf," Hremelan will say in his best impersonation of a proper speaking human (Perform check? *shrugs*), "Speech is not a representation of one's intellectual statute. On the contrary, there are many who speak properly about nothing at all."

Hremelan smiles as he is quite pleased with his joke. "Now tha' has t' be the beggest human I've evah seen." He puts his pipe back in his mouth, "Ne'er seen such a bunch o' stone faced pus's in all me life. 'Cept that one time I accidentally knocked the cauldron of Mamma's gravyroot stew on th' floor in front o' the may'r. Fat lout deser'ed it though."

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Ashan nods politely at each person as they enter. In response to Osric's question, Ashan jerks his head at Ram-Tet, "He's the butter and egg man. Look, I'm sure you'll all tell me my manners are lousy for cutting off the spitting, but that's fine — I agree. I grieve over them on long winter evenings. But let's all quit chinning and find out what's what. I didn't make this trip for biscuits." Ashan makes his face as bland as possible, prepping to listen to Ram-Tet (assuming he speaks up).

 

[UniversalMonster]

Ram-Tet smiles as he starts drying his hands on the edge of his cloak habit.

"Well, there were two others expected.. but I may as well get started. "

"I asked if any of you might be musically inclined because our newest client is the famous bard Alastair Mourn. He contracted me to locate a song for him. An ancient song...a lullaby."

He turns and begins leafing through a stack of scrolls and maps on a nearby table.

"Now- this is no ordinary lullaby, of course, which is why a grandmaster bard of Cor Cowram can afford to travel halfway across the Great Wheel and pay a ridiculous sum of gold for me to find it. And why I can afford to hand over an exorbitant share of that bounty to you. "

After a moment he pulls out a piece of painted parchment that looks like an ancient portrait. On it is depicted a young boy in a strange, elaborately jeweled headdress. The boy is shown smiling cheerfully, holding what looks like a jeweled beetle.

Ram-tet hands the painting around, first to Ashan.

"That is the child-emperor of Hautama, Paruz the Fourth. He lived.. and died several centuries ago. In fact- the empire of Hautama itself is gone too. You'll be looking for the toy he is shown holding there. A Scarab."

 

[Mytholder]

"Mmm...exorbitant" mutters Khulmbanos. He peers at the painting, poking a grubby fingernail at the Scarab (but being careful not to actually touch it). "The toy a music box or something?"

 

[Jarval]

"Nice little bauble." Osric peers at the painting, looming over Khulmbanos. "Any chant about where this beetle is?"

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Ashan looks at the picture and then hands it off to the next person. "So that's the dingus, bo." He relaxes and looks for some place to sit in the office.

 

[Arknath]

Hremelan looks at the scroll. "Quite a li'le bug, eh? Bu' I don't get it. 'ow is this related to a lullaby?"

 

[UniversalMonster]

Ram-Tet takes the painting back after everyone has had a chance to look at it.

"The Scarab is really just a toy. You'll be bringing it back here to the museum for a display we're planning. Inside, however, is a gem encoded with an utterly simple spell that records sound. In this case, it was the young emperor's nursemaid singing that lullaby."

"The gem- might be worth 1000 in gold if you were lucky. "

Ram-Tet smiles.

"But because of the unique nature of that song, and the .. ah..desperate generosity of our client, I am offering 10,000 gold. This bounty to be divided evenly amongst your group, for the recovery of the Scarab and the gem inside. Intact. Be careful. It's quite old."

"Now, listen carefully. Hautama is located on the Prime, in a largely forgotten desert. I've managed to dredge up some maps and a general description of the location where you'll find our prize. Portals are going to be a problem. The nearest one puts you a few days travel across the desert to the palace ruins where I believe the Scarab is located. That's the arrival portal."

Ram-Tet gathers up some more maps and scrolls.

"Please follow me."

The old githzerai sweeps past you and steps outside, where one of the armored nuns is already holding a tattered parasol for him.

He points to the dull grey sky. The wind and rain picks up, and thunder breaks suddenly. Ram Tet is forced to shout to be heard.

"The best departure portal is up there. The Dodecahedron Gate!"

 

[Arknath]

Hremelan looks up at the area the githzerai points. Why does everything have to be so gods-be-damned high? He sighs and makes sure his spellbook and all his precious parchments are covered by his pack wishing he had paid attention during that old mage's bantering about some 'prestedigi'...er something spell. Ah well, can't be helped.

The tiny halfling turned to stare up into the githzerai's eyes, "Govna'," he started, "uh don' suppose there be any bodies guardin' the place, now would there? Tha' is t' say, are we t' be expectin' trouble?"